The Republican journal., 1887-01-06
Volume Fifty-nine.

With the present issue the journal enters
upon its tifty-ninth year and volume. Few
papers in Maine have lived so long, and in the
whole country the number is not large. The
journal still goes into many families where it
has regularly made its weekly visits during all
the years that have elapsed since the first num-
Der was issued, and it has on its books the
names of several who have been subscribers
since 1929 The paper in that year, the first of
its publication, consisted of four pages IA by
20 inches, and the subscription price was 81.
The journal of to-day is more than four times
as large, contains fully ten times as much read
ing matter, and the subscription price is the
same. The expense of publication has mean-
While increased fully in proportion with the
enlargement of the paper and the Development
OF its news service and other departments.
The old hand press on which the paper was
worked" now RELOCATED to the attic. has been
supplanted by the best press made, the Hoe
cylinder, with ample steam power. In place
of a single editor with occasional volunteer
assistance there are, in addition to the regular
office force, nearly fifty news correspondents
and contributors, with whose aid the Journal
Is able to cover each week all the news of this
city. county and section.
The journal has always been fortunate iii its
contributors. One successful book was born
in it, columns-he first literary venture of the
Rev. T. Gerr>h-and it, files contain the ma
terial for Others. We may mention Gov. Cros-
by's Annals of an Old Settler" and the cor
respondencc and sketches of Our George. who
continues TO write exclusively for this paper.
The London letters from Mr.. f. o. Thorntike
were not eXcclled in interest or literary merit
by any published by the metropolitan press.
Prof. l.. {. Batemans articles on Webster and
the Bouapartes. the contributions in prose and
Verse from Mrs. Helen \. Packard, the Euro
pcan Sketches 10y a gentleman of this city. the
agricultural articles by A. |. Brown, J. W.
Lang, Freeman Partridge, :. {. Griffin and
Others with the frequent letters from Maine
men in the Western States and Territories
have given to the columns of the journal 4
freshness and variety that, supplemented with
its weekly record eff affairs at home, have Sc
cured for il an enviable. and envied. reputation
as literary. local and family newspaper.
In the declaration of principles and policy
published in the first number of the Journal it
was said The State of Maine is destined. sooner
or later, to become ESSENTIALLY agricultural. Its
forests are fast receding from the axe of the
lumberman." And. after further charging up
on this point. the editor concludes: a more
than ordinary portion of our paper will be de
voted TO such articles as may be of Use in the
of arrirU1tUrp (.ur pIitnriJl 1rnIp-
cessor was a true prophet. Maine has become
Essentially agricultural.'' and the journal has
continued in the course indicated by its found
ers. and done what il could to foster develop
ment of the farming interests. But Maine has
become manufacturing State also. and has en-
gagged in other industries to whose success the
local newspaper can materially contribute.
Thus broader declaration is called for from
the editcr of to-day, and it is found in the vale
dictory of W. ii. Simpson. published in 1850.
when i'll outlining the future policy of the Jour-
nal he said: at shall lend a helping hand to
every worthy pursuit and enterprise in which
Maine men may be engaged by land or sea-
The files of the journal since that promise was
made testify that il has been faithfully kept, and
it will be no less faithfully observed in the flu
ture.
Politically the journal Sl>tain> and advocates
the principles and policy of the Republican
party, believing them to be best calculated TO
promote the material and moral welfare of the
people. The prosperity of our farming and
manufacturing interests, and of all who labor
with hand o. brain, depends upon the continll-
ance of the Republican policy of protection
which the Democratic party is endeavorins to
break down and destroy. \ manifest intention
to punish New England is shown in all the
Democratic tariff measures, and were they car
ried into effect Maine would suffer seriously.
For this reason. if 10 others existed, our peo-
pie should sustain the party which defends
their Interests against the party of free trade
and free ships and to this end the Journal will
continue to labor to the best Of It's ability.